Water under the soil
Punjab stand not in the state’s interest
Punjab’s political leadership resists doing anything that can harm its electoral prospects. It is averse even to a law that can help the state conserve its precious water resources. Punjab and five other laggard states — Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Tripura, Manipur and Nagaland — are avoiding a law passed elsewhere in the country to curb the excessive extraction of groundwater. Surely, having a law is not itself enough. But Punjab has not done much on its own to obviate the need for a law. The Centre should go beyond circulating water Bill copies and call a meeting of the recalcitrant state leaders to press the need for water conservation.
Spurred by Central policies, farmers in Punjab have paid a heavy price for growing paddy. Free power too came handy in the reckless exploitation of groundwater. Few paddy growers are worried over reports from NASA and the National Geophysical Research Institute painting a grim picture of the waterfront. Nobody bothers if told that groundwater in 103 of the 137 blocks in Punjab is over-exploited. As the water table sinks at an alarming rate, farmers install submersible pumps, each costing more than Rs 1 lakh, to chase the receding water level.
A concerned Punjab Farmers Commission has pointed out that rainwater can recharge groundwater only up to 80-90 feet. But submersible pumps extract water from as low as 300 to 400 feet, which means exhausting the non-renewable reserves. While experts advise farmers to stop or go slow on self-destructive agricultural practices and urge semi-literate politicians to intervene for their own benefit, revive the disappearing village ponds and make rainwater harvesting mandatory, such wisdom has few takers in a state placed 16th in literacy nationally. The Planning Commission Deputy Chairman, Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, wants a tax on groundwater to control its waste and over-use. But politicians in Punjab keep their minds tightly shut and do not let in any such enlightenment to seep in.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥